Packaging systems are an important aspect of manufacturing. A significant expense in manufacturing is the erecting of a case from a blank, packing the case with product, and sealing the case after filling. Cases include, for example, containers, boxes, cartons and similar packages for containing product, which are made of paper, cardboard and similar materials. Until recent times, human hands have performed the tasks of assembling, packing and sealing cases.
While mechanisms for erecting, filling and sealing cases are well known in the art, the ability to change a packaging line to erect and seal a different type or sized case often requires the shutting down of the packaging line to adapt the setup and sealing machinery to the new case. This adaptation not only causes a pause in production, but may require both the time and expense of mechanics changing over the machinery and attaching different packaging machinery parts. In such a case, space is needed to store the different packaging machine parts and a system to keep track of the parts needed for various sized cases, and adding to the overall cost of the packaging system.
Increasingly, automated systems are being developed to reduce the human and material resources needed to erect or assemble, pack and seal different cases as well as reduce the time needed for adaptation to different packaging operations. It is well known that cases are available in a wide range of configurations, each configuration having specific erecting, closing and sealing requirements.
In one example, the Regular Slotted Container (RSC) is a case which includes four flaps making up the bottom thereof and four flaps making up the top. Each of the top and bottom four flaps are comprised of a pair of opposed minor flaps alternating with a pair of opposed major flaps. The remainder of an RSC box includes four panels, which in the example of a rectangular case, includes a pair of opposed major panels and a pair of opposed minor panels wherein the major panels have a greater area than the minor panels. Numerous methods have been proposed which are used to seal RSC boxes.
Typically, the erecting and sealing of a regular slotted container proceeds along the following lines. From an initial flattened condition, the minor and major panels are expanded into a box-like or rectangular configuration and glue is applied to specified surfaces of the minor bottom flaps. The bottom flaps are then folded inwardly, with the major or outer flaps outwardly positioned over the minor or inner flaps and held in contact therewith until the glue is sufficiently set. This process can be carried out either manually or by machine and is not overly difficult since the case is empty at this stage, access to the various elements of the case and pressure can be applied from above and below so as to sandwich the bottom flaps in the closed position until it is assured that the glue is sufficiently set. Machines specially adapted for erecting a folded blank into a box configuration, applying glue to the bottom flaps and folding the same, are known in the art. The case can also be opened and flaps folded as stated above and then passed over a tape applicator which applies a strip of tape vertically on one minor panel (approximately 3″) then across the bottom then up the opposite minor panel (3″).
As discussed above, the filling or packing of cases can be performed manually or, with increasing frequency by mechanical means. Robotic packing machines are being used to fill cases with product as robotic technology becomes more affordable and widespread. Machines specially adapted for closing case tops for RSC cases are exemplified by machinery described in for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,560.
However, as noted above, changeover from one configuration or size of case to another can be time consuming and thereby can add unwanted cost to the process. Accordingly, there is a demand for a mechanism that efficiently erects cases and is easily and quickly adaptable to different sized and shaped containers. The present invention satisfies the demand.